


Swing-sets and Secrets

by amclove



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: M/M, Oneshot, Tyrus - Freeform, this basically had to happen, tj kippen is smitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 16:57:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15441615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amclove/pseuds/amclove
Summary: TJ has a girlfriend, and Cyrus had to see rather than be told about it. Brilliant.





	Swing-sets and Secrets

     Cyrus was so fucking sick of this. From where he had dropped onto his swing, he thought back to that morning when he’d witnessed TJ’s very public kiss with Iris. What exactly was he sick of? Not knowing what was going on, ever, with himself, his schoolwork, his faith. The few consistencies in his life had always been exactly that: few. From grade two, it had been Buffy; then along came Andi, and Jonah, and TJ. Then bye to Buffy, his closest friend; hello to the glorious relationship that currently was Andi and Amber; Jonah and Sam; Cyrus and no significant other to speak of. All he had was Skype calls with Buffy—which were getting fewer and more far between than ever since her move three years back—and TJ, because the couples were so conjoined that they seemed to hardly have any spare love to give their loyal friend Cyrus.

     So, yeah. Cyrus was sick of having the rug pulled out from under his feet. In this case, it was the fact that the one person he’d spent more time with than anyone these past years had locked lips with Cyrus’ ex. Not that he was saying the ‘ex’ part was what bothered him at all, but the fact that TJ had never even so much as mentioned anything going on with her in the first place. And isn’t that what best friends were supposed to do, talk to each other about perspective S.O.s and gossip? Give advice, support, gentle judgment? Then why hadn’t TJ so much as whispered a word about Tiris? Why hadn’t he told Cyrus about it before he’d had to see it in the school’s fucking hallway by TJ’s locker and feel it like a Hulk fist to the gut?

     He wasn’t even swinging. He was just sat there, feet planted on the wood chips and trying not to cry. He was too old to cry over TJ Kippen, a supposed best friend, and he refused to do it.

     “Hey, Underdog.”

     Shoot. Cyrus swiped hurriedly at his suddenly wet eyes. “What do you want?”

     “Uh, hello to you too?” TJ said, more like a question than a statement. “What’s biting you?”

     “Could you go away, please?” Cyrus asked. He wouldn’t look at TJ, which didn’t instill much confidence in TJ that his friend was okay.

     “Not really. You ignored all my texts today, left the lunchroom when you saw me coming…” TJ leaned against the pole nearest Cyrus. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.

     “Take a wild guess,” Cyrus muttered.

     “I really would if I had any clue.”

     “I saw you, TJ. Kissing Iris in the hall?”

     “Oh.”

     “Yeah, mcfreaking _oh_ ,” Cyrus snapped, shoving up to face TJ. “And what? You didn’t think to tell me that another one of my closest friends—that’s you, sir!—was going to soon be unavailable to me? Just like Buffy, Andi, Jonah, Amber—now you. And I–I don’t even _care_ , TJ. All I wanted was for you to tell me to my face instead of my having to see it without any idea that you’d found someone that wasn’t me to make you happy. Some consideration would’ve been swell.”

     “Cyrus—”

     “And all the occasions where you’ve been busy, or flat-out ignored my messages!” Cyrus let out a _pff_ , throwing his arms up. “At least now I know you’ve been with _her_ the whole time. You worried me for _nothing_. Your depression scares the hell out of me and you think your disappearing those times would go right over my head? As if you aren’t my best friend.”

     “Cyrus, I promise you it isn’t _at all_ what you think.”

     “Sure.”

     Exasperated, hastily TJ admitted, “Iris is my tutor!”

     “She…” Cyrus stopped, out of breath. “Huh?”

     TJ sighed and pushed his hands through his hair. “She’s my tutor, Cy. Our sessions weren’t enough with everything happening this time of the year for me, and—I didn’t want to bother you with more work. So I got Iris to help me too.”

     “I wouldn’t’ve minded…” Cyrus shook his head. “So you got Iris. And then you… fell in love with her brains and feminine mystique. I understand; she’s very sweet. There was a dark time I too—”

     “Cyrus, no,” TJ said. “She got the wrong idea and kissed me this morning. It’s _never_ been like that with her.”

     Cyrus furrowed his dark eyebrows. “You _aren’t_ dating Iris?”

     “No,” TJ repeated. “No. I don’t like her that way.” TJ took a pause and stood up a bit straighter. “I mean, I did fall in love though.”

     “I knew it; I knew there had to be someone. Who is it? I bet it’s Nick from algebra. Oh, or Lauren from Physics. Oh! What about Siobhan from—”

     “It’s you!” TJ interjected with impatience. “God, Cyrus, really? It’s you. It’s always only been you. I’ve tried so fucking hard to get over you, but it always… it always comes back to you, Underdog.” Cyrus, quite literally for the first time in his life, had absolutely no clue what to say. “I knew telling you would fuck up what we have so just forget it, okay? Please drop it.”

     “‘Drop it’?” Cyrus echoed. “Are you insane? Did you miss this entire thing, you idiot?”

     “Huh?”

     Cyrus rolled his eyes to the sky, but his stomach was in turmoil. “I love you too,” he announced. “It wasn’t just about Iris. I mean, if you were happy with her I’d have accepted it, but I was upset about more than just what I thought was your big secret. TJ, I love you back. Dummy.”

     TJ yanked Cyrus into his chest without another word. Cyrus laughed against him, which was difficult with how tightly TJ was gripping him. “You scared the shit out of me,” TJ mumbled. “I thought you’d…”

     “What? Suddenly hate you for liking me?” Cyrus snorted. “As if. I’ve been simmering on this crush for years, buddy. Years. All cuz I thought you’d never return the feelings. What a waste of our time.”

     “I’m sorry.”

     Cyrus pulled back to look at TJ. “No. Don’t be. We’re both immensely stupid but we’re also both to blame for not coming out with it sooner.” He nodded once, an end to whatever TJ could have replied with in the negative, and squeezed his arms tighter around TJ’s waist. “I should thank Iris for this.”

     “Why?” TJ asked, eyebrows raised.

     “If she hadn’t fallen for you this year, I’d never have finally told you that I’ve been in love with you since we met. I’m _exhausted_!”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything involved with Andi Mack except my own writing and ideas. Thank you for reading! :) (And yes, I purposely made Jonah's S.O. a gender-neutral name ;D) If you want to scream about Tyrus and the cuteness that is this kids' show, my tumblr is cyanicas.tumblr.com.


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